peck Posted July 8, 2008 Report Share Posted July 8, 2008 we dont electric fence ours, we snare them all. why just scare a fox off to eat your birds when they leave a pen, much better to catch him what happened, change your mind.? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Sweepy Posted July 8, 2008 Report Share Posted July 8, 2008 milo, Being a small shoot like you .i really feel for your lost .To lost that many birds must be soul distroying. i hope it is not to late to be able to get yourselfs back on your feet again . please do yet us know how it gos. thinking of you xxxxsuzy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Millomite Posted July 9, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 9, 2008 we dont electric fence ours, we snare them all. why just scare a fox off to eat your birds when they leave a pen, much better to catch him what happened, change your mind.? we got them given for nothing lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
palombier Posted July 9, 2008 Report Share Posted July 9, 2008 MM I am sure you are racking your brains about how it got in but don't rule out it going over the top. We had a similar problem on our shoot a few years back and we found the fox fur on the top strand of wire to prove it. We increased the pen height to just under 7 feet and that semed to solve the problem. As for getting extra birds to replace them the problem will be that they will not integrate and will fight (my experience). I'm afraid that's running a small shoot, I sympathise but you just have to make the best of it. Good luck for the rest of the season. P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackbart Posted July 9, 2008 Report Share Posted July 9, 2008 I think your pen should be about 7 or 8 feet high anyway as a fox can easily jump five feet and if its on a long run of wire it may bend inwards if there is only 1 foot above that. We had a similar experience a few year back.The poults were in only 3 days and went to check on them and there was bodies everywhere,no sign of entry,exit,fur..nowt.We took 1 of the "89"dead poults to a keeper on a nearby shoot and he ripped its neck feathers off and said straight away"goshawk".Apparently young goshawks are 1 of only a few birds that "practice"killing".We moved the birds as putting a roof over a pen that had about sixty trees in it wasnt really an option. When we put our ducks down now we will sit by the pond for the first 2 hours of darkness flicking the lamp about because we got sick of loosing them in the first week to foxes.Had 4 foxes in the same field last year at the same time making a beeline for the pond.Get yourself a highseat knocked up near the pen and do a bit of ambushing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
webber Posted July 9, 2008 Report Share Posted July 9, 2008 Sorry to learn of the loss, its a great chunk out of your birds before any of the other problems have taken their toll. I agree with Bobs suggestions, and would suggest that you cover every aspect with renewed vigour. Trapping, shooting, electric fence and barbed wire. Check and double check everything. We lost a couple of hundred birds out of our 600 last year when the pens were vandalised twice. We have almost completed rebuilding one of our pens and have utilised the mesh panels used to fence off building sites secured to wood posts driven into the ground. I wish you luck, and trust that you will get to grips with the problem, and that your efforts will be rewarded in the forthcoming season. webber Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
v-max Posted July 9, 2008 Report Share Posted July 9, 2008 Sorry to hear but as stated you get losess. Keep the vixen & drag her round all your snares round the pen & place her in an area you can snare round her & make a midden round her just her body in the area of the pen. A fox will come into another & the cubs should come round sniffing & maybe the dog but foxes are great for middens as they attract each other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob300w Posted July 9, 2008 Report Share Posted July 9, 2008 Sorry to hear but as stated you get losess. Keep the vixen & drag her round all your snares round the pen & place her in an area you can snare round her & make a midden round her just her body in the area of the pen. A fox will come into another & the cubs should come round sniffing & maybe the dog but foxes are great for middens as they attract each other. Can't go along with that plan v-max, dragging the vixen around the pen will attract the cubs, and a midden will attract all types of vermin, not what you need near a release pen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
v-max Posted July 10, 2008 Report Share Posted July 10, 2008 Sorry to hear but as stated you get losess. Keep the vixen & drag her round all your snares round the pen & place her in an area you can snare round her & make a midden round her just her body in the area of the pen. A fox will come into another & the cubs should come round sniffing & maybe the dog but foxes are great for middens as they attract each other. Can't go along with that plan v-max, dragging the vixen around the pen will attract the cubs, and a midden will attract all types of vermin, not what you need near a release pen. You have clearly stated the reason your self in your post as to get the cubs in 1 of the many snares i would have set. As for a midden i only meant the vixen body that millomite has then any of the cubs he gets put them in & once he thinks he has got them he can remove/bury the foxes & lift some of the snares but its no my birds its up to millomite. The dead foxes in midden wont be the only attraction as you will get a few foxes/vermin etc sniffing around over the season the poults seem to attract stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smut Posted July 18, 2008 Report Share Posted July 18, 2008 This is my first post and I don't want to sound like a clever so and so, but your vermin control should be done before your birds are put to wood, not after, you should have a trap and snare line running from the middle of Feb, every fox, stoat, weasel, rat, crow,etc. killed then is worth two now. Bad luck and hope you recover, but most of all, make sure you learn from this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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